Innholdsfortegnelse for 1526 i Auto Express

THIS week I’ve been lucky enough to take delivery of a new Nissan Leaf. And as it’s built in the North East, I felt it only right to head up to Nissan’s factory in Sunderland to get my new car. Given the new Leaf’s claimed range of 235 miles, I hoped I’d be able to do the 273-mile trip back south to my home with just one stop for charging. You can find out whether I managed it in a few weeks. With an electric car now on my driveway, I was interested to see a prediction from data specialist Emu Analytics that there’ll be an 83 per cent shortfall in EV charging points by 2020. Its report claimed we’ll need 83,500 points – up from today’s 16,500 – to…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy THE Kia Sportage was one of the first models to really accelerate the Korean maker’s emergence in recent years – and now there’s a refreshed version of the family SUV for 2018. Major revisions have been made to the engine line-up, less so to the styling. Due on sale in the autumn, the facelifted Sportage gets modest design changes, as Kia opts to avoid radical alterations to its biggest seller in the UK; the car accounted for more than a third of the company’s registrations in this country in 2017. As is common on mid-life revisions, the Sportage’s metal panels stay the same – but that still leaves scope for different front and rear bumpers, a new headlight design and, perhaps most noticeably, a full-width LED light bar…

DS is gearing up to reveal an all-electric version of the new DS 3 Crossback at September’s Paris Motor Show. It will be the first electric car within the PSA Group and the first to use the company’s new e-CMP platform technology. The new car will play a starring role in DS’s electrification strategy, which will see the young French premium brand exclusively sell plug-in hybrid and full-electric cars from 2025 onwards. The decision to introduce the all-electric e-CMP architecture on a DS and not a Vauxhall, Peugeot or Citroen stems from the brand’s position in the group as the go-to marque for tech, according to DS vice president of product Eric Apode. Precise technical details remain under wraps for now, but Apode promises that the new EV will be…

MERCEDES has revealed prices and specs for its recently updated C-Class Coupé and Cabriolet, with the new cars kicking off from £37,620 for the C 200 Coupé. The C 200 Cabriolet, using the same new 181bhp, 1.5-litre, 48v mild-hybrid, four-cylinder engine, starts at £41,439. The C 200 Coupé can be had with 4MATIC all-wheel drive, while the 251bhp C 300 four-cylinder is also exclusive to the hard-top model. But both are available with 191bhp diesel power, as well as in six-cylinder, 385bhp C 43 form, from £51,965 for the Coupé. All models bar the C 43 come in sporty AMG-Line trim as standard.…

A THIRD of all used cars sold in the UK have outstanding finance, according to new figures. Last year, six million secondhand vehicles were flagged as having finance still owing. However, new figures suggest the share of used cars with outstanding finance has now risen from one in four to one in three. The first four months of 2018 saw 2,437,025 finance alerts issued on pre-owned vehicles. The figures come from automotive data company cap hpi, which cites the continued growth of personal contract purchase (PCP) deals as fuelling the rise in such sales (see right). Roughly three-quarters of new cars are bought using a PCP deal, and cap hpi says a car is considered to have been sold fraudulently “if the vendor tries to sell the vehicle with existing…

“In 1975 the Floride broke down and we couldn’t get moving – palace employees had to pick us up”PRINCE ALBERT II OF MONACO THE little boy with blond hair slides under the barrier, grabs the door handle of the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 and slips in. He then runs towards a model from the twenties, pulling himself up on the driver’s seat. Hot on his tail is his blonde twin sister as the two romp through Monaco’s ‘Top Cars Collection’. Yet museum director Philippe Renzini remains surprisingly calm, smiling at the wild goings-on. Everything is in perfect order; the two little visitors are allowed to play here. The 120 exhibits belong to their father: Prince Albert II of Monaco. Royalty extends far and wide in Europe, and with the…

Running costs Essentials 24.8mpg (official) £108 fill-up Performance 0-62mph/top speed 3.7 seconds/208mph WITH its limited-edition, green-and-yellow-striped livery, the DB11 AMR could be a mobile billboard for Aston Martin’s racing team. But the new 630bhp V12 is undoubtedly a mouthwatering prospect for anyone with £174,995 to spend on a superfast GT. Like Mercedes’ AMG and BMW’s Motorsport divisions, Aston Martin Racing (AMR) leverages a little extra love for the company’s production cars. The DB11 AMR in effect retires the original DB11 V12, launched in 2016, as well as putting 127bhp of clear blue water between itself and the entry-level DB11, powered by a twin-turbo AMG V8. Elements of the V8’s chassis have been carried over to the new model. So on paper, the AMR should be the fastest, best-handling DB11 yet.…

“The whole car is loaded with things that just make driving easier, all designed to keep you safe”LUCY Subaru owner & mother THE SUV crossover is the ideal vehicle for life in town, mixing an elevated driving position and great styling with hatchback practicality. But you shouldn’t have to scrimp on safety, capability or reliability to get the body style you want – and with the Subaru XV, you don’t have to. Lucy and Chris had safety at the top of their list when they chose the XV as their family car. With daughter Millie on board, they felt happier in a vehicle that was awarded Safest Small Family Car by the crash-test experts at Euro NCAP in 2017. They knew its trademark Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive would keep them out…

Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.7 seconds/148mph Running costs 48.1mpg (on test) £84 fill-up/£140 or 29% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 563/1,557 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 48.2/35.0/9.5m MODELTESTED: Volkswagen Arteon 2.0 TDI 190 DSG R-Line PRICE: £36,835 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp THE Volkswagen Arteon has already proven its credentials against the Audi A5 Sportback, which is why that rival isn’t part of this test. But can the VW beat the Stinger’s value for money and the BMW’s dynamism? We test the Arteon in £36,835 2.0 TDI 190 DSG R-Line form to find out. Design & engineering DESPITE the svelte styling, underneath the Arteon is based on VW’s ubiquitous MQB modular chassis architecture. This means there are four-wheel-drive versions available, but it’s the front-wheel-drive model we’ve got here. Like the Kia, the VW is…

SUPERMINIS are hugely popular in the UK. It’s never a surprise to see one top the new car sales charts every month, with more featuring across the rest of the table. It’s not just cheap and cheerful models buyers love. Premium small cars are closing the gap thanks to affordable finance deals, and the MINI is a stand-out example. Keen to continue this trend, the firm has launched a facelifted car. Customisation options are a key to the MINI’s success, and the brand has also added to that list with some unique new features. The MINI’s popularity is no surprise, but is it worth the premium you’ll pay over a regular supermini? To find out, we’ve tested the latest British model against SEAT’s sporty Ibiza, a car moving into the…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 10.4 seconds/124mph Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 410-520/1,289 litres Running costs 37.0mpg (on test) £57 fill-up/£140 or 24% tax TIPS Dawn gets to grips with the key features of the Citroen’s smart interior, under the guidance of Robins and Day sales advisor Navadini Vijayakumar Dawn_Grant@dennis.co.uk BEFORE I got my hands on the keys to our striking Citroen C3 Aircross, I wasn’t sure I was going to take to the small SUV’s slightly unusual styling. But when I went along to the Robins and Day London West Citroen dealership in Brentford to collect it, the car instantly stood out on the forecourt – and not in a bad way, because it feels full of character. Our Flair model is finished in Spicy Orange with a white roof, which only…

FIRST TEST Tamiya King Yellow 6x6 Price: £174 (kit only) or £267.36 (with electronic speed control, transmitter and receiver, steering servo battery, fast charger) Contact: www.modelsport.co.uk TAMIYA’S new King Yellow monster bus is an absolute hoot. Based on the same six-wheel-drive running gear as the Konghead truck (Issue 1,488), the King Yellow adds an extra dash of fun thanks to its US-style school bus body. It’s finished in Camel Yellow paint with around 50 decals, and Tamiya claims it will climb 40-degree slopes, even if the low-slung front bumper means this vehicle is no rock crawler. The 6x6 format allows it to deal with almost every other kind of terrain, though. The King Yellow also handles better than its near-half-metre length would lead you to believe, with a decent turn…

“The Golf R will be marked out as the range flagship with liberal use of carbon fibre, aggressive bumpers and quad tailpipes” • Our images preview extreme styling of wild Mk8 Golf R • T-Roc R, Tiguan R and electric I.D. R models set to follow Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn VOLKSWAGEN will turn up the heat with the next Golf R to create the most ‘extreme’ version of the hatchback there has ever been, Auto Express can reveal. The Mk8 Golf is due to go on sale next year, and has been described by new VW Group boss Herbert Diess as “the versatile car”. However, while the Golf has continually topped sales charts across Europe, bosses want to strengthen the brand’s position in the hot hatch segment. At the moment, the Golf…

SKODA has added a rather unique variant to its Superb Estate lineup: an armoured model that can withstand gunfire and explosives. The reinforced Superb is the result of a three-year project by a British-based team, and each conversion takes four weeks. While the exact details of the body armour remain under a strict need-to-know basis, the conversion ensures the passenger cell is reinforced to the extent that it meets PAS 300 standards for ballistic and blast protection. Each armoured car, priced from £118,688, starts life as a Superb 2.0-litre TDI. The added weight of the reinforced steel and bullet-resistant glass has blunted performance; a quoted top speed of 120mph-plus is roughly 20mph down on the standard 187bhp model’s. There’s no official 0-62mph time, but it won’t match the unprotected car’s…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn FERRARI’S Special Projects division has created a unique one-off model called the SP38. It’s based on the Italian firm’s 488 GTB and built at the request of one of Ferrari’s most ‘dedicated customers’. The SP38’s bespoke body has been inspired by the legendary F40 – in particular the tail-lights and small boot spoiler. The glass engine cover morphs into a slatted metalwork across the engine bay for additional cooling. Muscular wheelarches, slim LED headlamps and more prominent use of carbon fibre make up the new front-end design. The shape of the front bumper is a nod to the Ferrari 308 GTB from the seventies, while the SP38 is finished in a new, three-layer metallic red paintjob. Under the skin, the one-off carries over the 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8 engine…

IT’S not unusual for garages to take their time with repairs, but one owner ran out of patience when his car still wasn’t fixed after six months. Martin Chalker from Keston, Kent, told us the problems began with his 2015 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet last year. “I was cleaning the car and thought there were spots of tree sap on it,” he said. But the spots weren’t sap, and they started to spread across the car. Martin even discovered “a section of lacquer, the size of a 10-pence piece, had come away near the back window”. He reported the issue to his dealer in November, and was directed to Mercedes of Colindale, which was better placed to investigate the paint. Staff there took photographs of the defects, saying they would be…

“Just as impressive as the performance is the bellowing exhaust note. It’s pure NASCAR” WE’VE seen the spy shots, drooled over the static motor show stand star and even been for a ride in the passenger seat, but now we’re finally getting to drive Jaguar’s stunning XE SV Project 8. Billed as the fastest road car the brand has ever built, the newcomer has already claimed the lap record for a production saloon car at the tortuous Nürburgring in Germany and aims to be the most thrilling four-door machine that money can buy. Plenty of column inches have already been lavished on the Project 8, but given how special the car is, it’s worth revisiting some of the highlights. For starters, while the wild bodywork bears a passing resemblance to…

Running costs 47.9mpg (official) £80 fill-up James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods AS the first standalone model from the PSA luxury brand, the new DS 7 Crossback arrives with quite an extensive brief. Not only is it tasked with leading DS away from Citroen and to heady upmarket heights, it spearheads what will be a charge of six all-new models, and has to take on a hatful of talented, established rivals, too. With such an imposing to-do list, it isn’t too surprising to see that the DS 7 hasn’t quite ticked all the boxes. So far, we’ve found it to be distinctive enough to turn heads, but not polished enough to really compete at the sharpest end of the posh crossover market. Driven here is the range-topping PureTech 225 – the most powerful DS…

Pictures: Otis Clay Location: Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, Leicestershire KIA’S four-door Stinger coupé has already proven its worth, having beaten the Audi S5 Sportback in our twin test back in Issue 1,504. However, that was in sporty GT S guise. Here we’re testing the Korean car in more affordable and arguably more relevant diesel form, which means it’ll have to face off against some German giants. The Volkswagen Arteon offers a similar solution to the Stinger, serving up more style than a conventional saloon such as the brand’s Passat, with decent dynamics, sporty looks (like the Kia in the trim we’re testing here), a good level of kit and a balance of performance and economy. For years BMW was king of this class, offering a sportier brand image and cars that backed…

Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.5 seconds/143mph Running costs 48.5mpg (on test) £73 fill-up/£450 or 32% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 480/1,300 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 49.1/33.8/9.8m MODELTESTED: BMW 420d Gran Coupé xDrive Sport PRICE: £40,075 ENGINE: 2.0-litre 4cyl, 187bhp BMW’S 4 Series Gran Coupé is the more stylish, four-door alternative to the firm’s 3 Series saloon and, at £40,075 in 420d xDrive Sport trim, a direct rival to the Kia and VW. But is it a better bet? Design & engineering AS part of BMW’s decision to switch its naming strategy a few years ago, using even numbers for its coupé models, the brand was able to diversify its model line-up further and add cars such as the 4 Series Gran Coupé to the range. The Gran Coupé is based on BMW’s…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor IT’S from the rear three-quarters that I think our Alfa Romeo Giulia looks at its best. The voluptuous curves culminate in a beautifully pert, round rump, and the way the wheels poke out from the arches in a splayed stance is just lovely. No, don’t worry, I’m not channelling Brian Sewell or reading from the brochure; I really think the Giulia is beautiful. Of course, that’s only if a bus hasn’t buried itself in the bootlid. Last month on my usual commute into London, one bus driver got a bit too carried away with the Alfa’s beauty and drove straight into the back of it. Obviously blushing and feeling awkward, he decided to escape from the scene without stopping to leave his phone number with me. The bus’s…

“Production car, previewed in our images, will be inspired by Tokyo show KAI concept” James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods MAZDA will reinvent its Volkswagen Golf-rivalling 3 later this year with new engine tech that could eventually spell the end of diesel power in its cars. The fourth-generation car will make its debut at November’s LA Motor Show, before going on sale in the UK in 2019. Another big focus point for Mazda will be an improvement in quality aimed at moving the hatchback further upmarket to better compete against premium rivals such as the Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class. The design of the new 3 will play a role in that shift; the production car, previewed in our exclusive images, will be heavily inspired by the KAI concept seen at last year’s Tokyo…

Alex_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @AxleIngram SEAT will join the seven-seat SUV party with the all-new Tarraco – and this is our first glimpse of the model testing ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show in September. The mule’s camouflage hides the car’s finer details, but we know the Tarraco will launch a new family face that’ll set it apart from SEAT’s smaller Ateca and Arona SUVs. The main shot shows the grille is similar in shape, but it’s more upright and prominent, while a clamshell bonnet and slimmer LED headlights will give the newcomer a more imposing presence. Under the skin, the Tarraco is closely related to sister brand Skoda’s Kodiaq, and that’s clear from this test car’s near-identical silhouette. Around the back, the triangular tail-lamp units are linked by a…

FROM Monday 4 June onwards, learner drivers will be allowed on motorways as part of their driver training. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency announced the move earlier this year as part of an effort to help reduce fatalities among young and inexperienced motorists. Studies have shown young drivers are five to seven times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a road accident than those over 25 years old. The new rules state that learners can only take to the motorway when accompanied by a qualified driving instructor in a car with dual controls.…

Performance 0-62mph/top speed 4.8 seconds/155mph Running costs 34.4mpg (official) £83 fill-up “Optional adaptive suspension helps the M40i ride well over a variety of surfaces” Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram THE proliferation of monthly finance deals means the way we buy cars has changed. People are pushing their budgets to new heights, and the gap between a bog-standard entry model and a well-equipped range-topper is smaller than ever before. As such, models like the new BMW X3 M40i are becoming more attractive to the average punter. For £131 extra per month (£610 in total), you can ditch your entry-level 2.0-litre diesel for a Porsche-baiting six-cylinder super-SUV. It was this very car that gave us our first taste of the all-new X3 in Portugal late last year (Issue 1,495). But while we’ve since driven diesel…

THE new Lotus Exige Sport 410 isn’t yet another special-edition car from Hethel; it’s a proper series production model, and one that aims to strike a balance between the softer Sport 350 and the track-focused Cup 430. One of the biggest changes on this more road-biased model is less reliance on downforce, in favour of mechanical grip. This is why the Sport 410 does without the Cup’s extreme vents in the top of the front wheelarches and more aggressive front splitter. And while there may be a reduction in downforce, there is also less drag, which is why the 410’s straight-line performance is a match for the 430’s. Underpinning the 410 is a retuned Cup 430 chassis, with adjustable Nitron springs and dampers. These are a little stiffer than the…

Performance 0-60mph/top speed 7.6 seconds/143mph Running costs 41.4mpg (on test) £76 fill-up/£140 or 35% tax Practicality Boot (seats up/down) 406/1,114 litres Braking 70-0/60-0/30-0mph 47.4/34.6/9.9m MODELTESTED: Kia Stinger 2.2 CRDi GT-Line S PRICE: £37,425 ENGINE: 2.2-litre 4cyl, 197bhp WE’RE testing Kia’s 2.2-litre diesel Stinger in top-spec GT-Line S spec, which costs a not insignificant £37,425, but comes loaded with equipment. Given how competitive this class is, the Kia will have to deliver all-round appeal. We find out if it succeeds against some talented opposition. Design & engineering THE Stinger’s underpinnings are related to the US-market Genesis G80’s, which doesn’t necessarily inspire much confidence. But in bringing Albert Biermann in from BMW, Kia is clearly serious about the Stinger, so the engineer will have paid particular attention to ride and handling. With…

2018 Results CX-3 Factfile Years: 2015 to present CO2: 137g/km Fuel econ: 47.9mpg (120PS SkyActiv) Best options: Sat-nav, reversing camera, heated seats, Bose stereo, LED lights Used prices: From £12,200 OVERALL SCORE 90.07% Bars show where model finished out of 75 vehicles in our 2018 new car survey. The longer the bar the better • GOOD “MY CX-3 does 44mpg – fantastic for a 2.0-litre petrol automatic.” “Gearbox is so slick, it feels as if it comes from a sports car.” “I love the swooping lines and the overall balance of its design.” “All-round visibility is very good.” “Ergonomic switchgear and instruments; headup display is ace.” “The CX-3 is the quietest diesel I have ever owned.” “Rear seats fold totally flat when dropped. Not all rivals offer this.” • NOT…

Stephen_Errity@dennis.co.uk NORTHERN Ireland’s Kris Meeke and his co-driver Paul Nagle have been stood down from their works Citroen World Rally Championship drive for 2018, with immediate effect. In a statement released to the media towards the end of last week, the French manufacturer explained: “Due to an excessively high number of crashes, some of which were particularly heavy and could have had consequences with regard to the crew’s safety, and given that the risks involved were unjustified by the sporting stakes at play, Citroen Racing WRT has decided to terminate the participation of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in the 2018 WRC.” Citroen will announce its line-up of crews for the remainder of the season shortly; Craig Breen and Mads Ostberg’s participation in the upcoming Rally Sardinia is said to…

ALL teams contesting the Le Mans 24 Hours on 16-17 June are heading to the Circuit de la Sarthe in France this weekend for the pre-race test day, two weeks ahead of the main event. Some last-minute driver line-up changes have seen Dean Stoneman replaced by Mike Simpson in one of the two Ginettas entered in LMP1. In the LMP2 class, Harrison Newey, the son of famed F1 designer Adrian, has been confirmed in the SMP Racing entry, alongside Frenchman Norman Nato and Russian racer Viktor Shaitar. Elsewhere, additional drivers not scheduled to take part in the 24 Hours itself are also set to make appearances at the test day, including Toyota’s test and reserve driver Anthony Davidson, United Autosports’ rising star Wayne Boyd and Porsche factory GT driver Dirk…